Yesterday, Microsoft pushed out a batch of new fixes for the Windows 8.1 Preview and the Windows RT 8.1 Preview. The five fixes, one classified as Important and the other four Recommended, are separate from the security fixes that arrived on Patch Tuesday last week.
The most welcome fix, judging from complaints I’ve heard, is KB2868208, which fixes a bug with Windows 8 apps that use scrolling ListView controls. The behavior is especially noticeable with the Windows 8 Twitter app (and with third-party Twitter apps), where scrolling is so jumpy as to render the apps almost unusable. After installation, scrolling is noticeably smoother.
The single Important fix is a roll-up of compatibility fixes for third-party apps. The Compatibility update for Windows RT 8.1 Preview and Windows 8.1 Preview: June 2013, includes hard blocks for five apps. The list includes AVG Internet Security 2013, which is blocked from installation, as well as an old version of Parallels Desktop (version 4.x), which is blocked from installation and from migration.
The four Recommended apps cover a variety of fixes and come with only terse documentation of their changes:
- Single sign-on (SSO) does not work for VPN connections that use certificate authentication in Windows 8.1 Preview
- Repeatedly offered update for a nonpresent device in Windows 8.1 Preview or Windows RT 8.1 Preview
- ListView does not scroll smoothly in Windows 8.1 Preview
- Update improves file search experience on SkyDrive in Windows 8.1 Preview
If you’re running the Windows 8.1 preview, all of the updates should be installed automatically. In a welcome change in Windows 8.1, both Important and Recommended updates are available from either the touch-friendly Windows 8 PC Settings or the desktop Control Panel.